Who we are

What we believeUnited Methodists share a common heritage with all Christians. Still, there are some things that make us distinctive.

The United Methodist Church was formed in a merger of other denominations in 1968, but its roots go back to 1736 to a religious movement sparked by two Anglican priests, John and Charles Wesley. Their unique synthesis of personal holiness and social action remains central to Methodism and the Wesleyan movement today. To learn about Methodist history and beliefs Click Here.

Some local historyMethodists began gathering in these parts in 1857 in communities called McCamish and Lanesfield. Those places died out when the railroad passed them by, and people followed the railroad to Edgerton. Our present building was built in 1913. The addition to the west was built with mostly volunteer labor from July 1996 to November 1997. And, yes, the railroad is still important Edgerton – and the BNSF Intermodal facility and nearby warehouses are vital to our community’s future.

Our life togetherWe are led by officers who are elected each year. The Church Council oversees our mission and ministry. Three committees supervise finances, property and personnel. A bunch of ministry teams carry out the work. We hope everyone will get involved somewhere.

We mostly make decisions by consensus. That doesn’t mean we always have total agreement. It does mean that everyone accepts and supports the decisions of the congregation.

We expect all participants to seek answers to their questions and voice concerns in a timely and constructive manner. We value “I” statements and don’t have much use for accusatory language using such words as “you,” “they,” “some people,” or “them.”

We covenant to live together as growing disciples of Jesus Christ, treating everyone as we expect to be treated ourselves. We pray,

“May the Holy Spirit work within us and through our covenant,
that having been born of the water and the Spirit,
we may live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ
for the transformation of the word. AMEN."

MembershipYou don’t have to be a member to participate in the life of our church. (Some of our most active people are not officially members.) But if you want to formalize your commitment to the church, we’d be happy to accept you as a member.